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SOC 51-9123
Clean and patch the surfaces of products such as furniture, glass, and pottery per the work order, mix and apply paint, ink, or lacquer, dry and cure as required, inspect the appearance, and touch up defects.
Model impact index for three equally weighted representative core tasks; not a measured share of working time or a job-loss probability. floor((25+25+0)/3+0.5)=17; fermatmind-ai-impact-v1; 2026-10-18.
Suited to people who like materials, color, and surface detail, are willing to mix coatings per the work order and inspect coating defects, and can also follow chemical and equipment safety procedures.
Insufficient evidence: a nationwide same-scope wage distribution for product painters and decorators in China was not obtained, and the above-scale manufacturing production broad-position average is not this occupation's wage. This job applies protective or decorative coatings to products such as furniture, glass, pottery, and toys, with the emphasis on surface preparation, mixing and application, drying, and defect touch-up.
Suited to people who can control cleaning, color, coating, and appearance across different materials and patiently inspect for flaws.
Applies protective or decorative coatings to products such as furniture, glass, dishes, pottery, toys, and leather, completing surface preparation, mixing and application, drying and curing, defect inspection, and touch-up.
O*NET 51-9123.00: paints, coats, or decorates products such as furniture, glass, dishes, pottery, jewelry, toys, books, or leather, and is not building wall work.
Work is mostly in a manufacturing or workshop setting, and the materials, tools, ventilation, drying, and appearance standards vary by product.
Career direction comparison
Furniture surface finishers mainly work with wood furniture; this occupation also covers products such as glass, pottery, and leather.
| Career direction | Core work and output | Key differences | Best-fit choice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers. | Coats products such as furniture, glass, and pottery. | This occupation's objects are products such as furniture, glass, and pottery, producing protective or decorative coatings; construction painting handles structural surfaces, and machine operators focus on continuous equipment. | Suited to people who are willing to handle individual materials and color details, apply per the sample, and inspect for flaws while following coating and equipment safety procedures. |
| Painters, Construction and Maintenance. | Paints buildings and structural surfaces. |
AI impact on this career
Image defect prompts, color matching, and record organization can assist; the real sample, coating suitability, equipment safety, and quality release are the responsibility of trained personnel. AI Impact Score 17% is an editorial estimate. Model impact index for three equally weighted representative core tasks; not a measured share of working time or a job-loss probability. floor((25+25+0)/3+0.5)=17; fermatmind-ai-impact-v1; 2026-10-18.The three tasks, ratings and sources are listed in the FermatMind method source record on this page.
FermatMind AI Impact Score estimation method v1
FermatMind / 费马测试 · 2026-10-18
Editorial ratings use the existing occupational responsibilities and AI task analysis on this page. They are not adoption rates, measured effects, job-disappearance or personal-unemployment probabilities, or official scores from Stanford or another external institution. No measured time weights or future robot deployment are assumed.
Chinese mainland salary reference
Chinese industry average wages are not the median for the product painter and decorator occupation.
U.S. 2025 wages cannot be converted into Chinese personal income or starting pay.
Insufficient evidence: Chinese mainland has not obtained a nationwide occupational wage distribution corresponding one-to-one with O*NET 51-9123.00.
2025 above-scale manufacturing production broad position pre-tax annual average 79,182 yuan.
Not this occupation's monthly salary, not individual workshops, self-employed profit, or all manufacturing employers.
Product manufacturing employers can verify whether they fall under the above-scale manufacturing production broad position; the specific material, process, shifts, piece rate, and offer are still verified against the posting and contract.
U.S. wages and employment.
U.S. precise 51-9123 employment is about 8,200 people in 2025; over 2025—2035 overall growth is 1.3%, an official net increase of about 100, and an annual average of about 700 openings including replacements.；The 2025 median hourly wage for U.S. O*NET 51-9123.00 is 20.00 U.S. dollars and the annual wage is 41,600 U.S. dollars.
| Wage statistical scope. | Annual wage reference. | Pay boundaries. | Explanation. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median level obtained. | $41,600 | Not converted. | States only the median annual wage fact, not starting pay or a personal quote.；Historical: U.S. 2024 employment in this occupation was about 8,800 people, not current openings; current BLS precise 51-9123 employment is about 8,200 in 2025 and about 8,300 in 2035, and the different bases cannot be computed together. |
| Material position differences. | The 2025 percentiles for this occupation were obtained. | Not provided. |
Career fit guide.
Fit looks at material identification, color-matching samples, coating evenness, defect touch-up, and material and equipment safety performance.
Material color matching.： Choose the coating by product.
Fine application.： If you are unwilling to verify formula batches, current product data, or spray and drying authority, first observe the material and equipment safety responsibilities.
Defect review.： First use public work orders and sample photos to verify the material, color, defects, and unknown conditions; real chemicals and equipment require separate training.
Work pressure, risks, and occupational boundaries.
Verify solvent contact, mist, heat sources, mix labels, coating defects, and repetitive fine motions separately.
O*NET supports only task and work-context background; the consequences, controls, and escalation below are editorial suggestions and do not indicate risk probability or a uniform legal requirement.
Typical scenario：Ventilation and contact conditions for materials or cleaning fluids not verified.
Roles most affected：People handling the materials and others on site.
Possible consequence：May increase inhalation or skin contact exposure.
How to reduce risk：Verify ventilation and contact protection per the SDS, and stop and ask for help on anomalies.
Entry, qualifications, and career development.
First learn materials, coatings, and safety, then practice surface treatment, mixing and application, drying, and inspection with teaching samples.
| career.column.stage | career.column.task | career.column.boundary | career.column.evidence |
|---|
Career outlook and related occupational transitions.
Historical: U.S. 51-9123 was projected to grow 1%—2% over 2024—2034. The current BLS precise 51-9123 shows 2025—2035 overall growth of 1.3% and an official net increase of about 100 people; about 8,200 in 2025 to about 8,300 in 2035, with the table rounded to thousands, so the growth rate cannot be back-calculated.
Historical 2024—2034 annual average of about 800 openings including turnover. The current 2025—2035 annual average of about 700 openings includes growth and replacements and is not the net increase of about 100 people or real-time hiring volume. · O*NET 51-9123.00 precise occupation.
About 8,200 people.
Precise occupational employment.
Digital color matching and visual inspection can change some tasks, but material suitability, on-site safety, and quality inspection still require people.
Mainly applies protective or decorative coatings to products such as furniture, glass, pottery, toys, and leather.
This occupation works on product surfaces; construction painters work on walls, buildings, and other structural surfaces.
Choose a real task from this page for a small practice project or a conversation with someone in the field. Use the planning guides to set a date, an output and feedback questions before deciding whether to continue.
Choose carefully if you cannot follow the safety procedures for coatings, solvents, spraying, and drying equipment, or if you mistake product coating for building painting.
Safe teaching samples can be used to practice cleaning, masking, brushing, and appearance inspection; real chemicals, spraying, and drying equipment must be operated per employer training and authorization.
Verifiable outputs include coating coverage, color and decoration consistency, drying state, defect records, and handoff.
Chemicals, spray mist, drying heat sources, and repetitive hand motions should be managed per the employer's material instructions and on-site safety procedures.
| Dimension | Primary track | Comparison track |
|---|---|---|
| Occupation code. | O*NET 51-9123.00 | U.S. precise occupation. |
| Coating object. | Furniture, glass, pottery, and so on. | The product material varies by employer. |
| Main tasks. | Cleaning and patching, application, and inspection. | Includes drying and curing and rework. |
| U.S. median annual wage. | $41,600（2025） | U.S. national occupational data. |
| 2025 employed. | About 8,200 people. | Precise 51-9123 rounded from the official thousands table. |
| Projected growth. | 2025—2035 growth 1.3%; net increase of about 100 people. | Overall projection, not AI replacement. |
| Annual average openings. | About 700 per year. | 2025—2035, includes growth and turnover replacements. |
Check the work order and the product material, and determine the color, coverage, and decoration requirements.
Clean, sand, or fill surface defects on the product.
Select and mix coatings, inks, or lacquers per specification.
Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers can use tools to assist with organizing information, but real adoption, authority, result release, and anomaly escalation still need to be verified by responsible people.
Distinguish furniture, glass, and pottery.
Patch flaws first.
Do not use hazardous solvents.
Formula and drying conditions.
Real spraying is supervised.
Drying equipment requires separate training.
| The objects are walls, equipment, bridges, and so on. |
| Prefers on-site work. |
| Coating machine operator. | Runs continuous coating equipment. | Mainly controls machine and line parameters. | Prefers equipment monitoring. |
|---|
| Furniture surface finisher. | Handles the appearance of wood furniture. | The objects are concentrated on furniture woodwork. | Prefers wood finishing. |
|---|
| Hand polisher. | Grinds and polishes product surfaces. | Mainly surface smoothness and gloss. | Prefers mechanical processing. |
|---|
| Glass decorator. | Decorates glass products. | A specific object belonging to this occupation. | Prefers glass craft. |
|---|
This occupation coats and decorates products such as furniture, glass, and pottery; construction painters work on structural surfaces such as walls and bridges.
Compare by the product object, equipment, and process safety requirements.
Provide candidate options.
Judge with the physical item and a standard light source.
Use per the factory quality process.
| Work area | Task | Current change | Human control point |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verify the work order. | Identify the product material and appearance requirements. | Extract the work order key points. | Confirm the physical item and the version. |
| Cleaning and patching. | Remove contamination and fill defects. | Prompt the treatment sequence. | Judge substrate suitability. |
| Batching and color matching. | Mix coatings per specification. | Suggest formula candidates. | Make a sample and verify labels. |
| Application and decoration. | Brushing, spraying, or decorative detailing. | Prompt process steps. | Control coverage and safety. |
| Drying and curing. | Treat the coating by time and temperature. | Record the time parameters. | Verify equipment and heat sources. |
| Quality inspection. | Check for color difference, missed coating, and scratches. | Image defect prompts. | Review under real lighting. |
| Rework handoff. | Touch up flaws and record. | Organize the report draft. | Confirm the batch and release. |
O*NET tasks for this occupation support the product application and inspection background; the tool uses are editorial candidates whose on-site effect has not been verified. BLS overall employment does not explain AI adoption replacement or individual layoffs.
Tool suggestions must be verified with samples and batches.
AI primarily changesGenerate color candidates.
Human responsibility remainsReview with a real sample.
AI primarily changesIdentify missed coating or flaws.
Human responsibility remainsInspect under standard lighting.
AI primarily changesOrganize formulas and drying times.
Human responsibility remainsVerify the current materials and equipment.
Verify the work order, material, formula, equipment, and sample, then decide application and rework.
Confirm the material and the work order.
Check the batch and formula.
Check the spray gun and drying.
Check color and defects.
Record the rework results.
Camera color cast can distort color-difference judgment.
Control: Verify the sample under standard lighting.
An old formula may not apply to the current materials.
Control: Verify the current product data and the work order version.
Misplaced labels can mix up product batches.
Control: Check against the physical item, the container label, and the batch.
Misuse of curing parameters can affect the coating and equipment safety.
Control: Authorized personnel verify the current process equipment and do not apply parameters automatically.
Unreported defects can lead to delivering items that do not meet specification.
Control: Quality personnel verify the physical defects and rework records.
Editorial candidate (on-site effect or adoption rate not verified): color-matching software can help match colors, but it must be verified with samples and batch materials.
Editorial candidate (on-site effect or adoption rate not verified): tools can be used to organize application and rework records; whether they reduce duplicate entry needs on-site verification, and the original samples and records must agree.
Assistance with a single task does not equal job replacement; O*NET does not provide a given plant's AI adoption rate.
First let tools assist with data and defect marking, then use them after sample, process, and safety review.
Must be verified with samples and data.
Source: O*NET task context for this occupation / editorial verification suggestion.Original source ↗
No; lighting has a large effect.
Source: O*NET task context for this occupation / editorial verification suggestion.Original source ↗
Must verify the current materials and equipment.
Source: O*NET task context for this occupation / editorial verification suggestion.Original source ↗
Trained personnel follow employer procedures.
Source: O*NET task context for this occupation / editorial verification suggestion.Original source ↗
Sample and standard lighting.
Source: O*NET task context for this occupation / editorial verification suggestion.Original source ↗
The available materials are insufficient to infer it.
Source: O*NET task context for this occupation / editorial verification suggestion.Original source ↗
Carry out per quality authorization.
Source: O*NET task context for this occupation / editorial verification suggestion.Original source ↗
Moving to construction painting or continuous coating equipment requires adding the target objects and safety training.
| Position direction. | Data status. | Explanation. |
|---|---|---|
| Position name. | Product coating-related positions. | Verify whether it is product coating. |
| Job training. | Employer coaching and material safety. | Spray and drying authority are verified separately. |
| Product scope. | Furniture, glass, pottery, and so on. | Construction painting positions are different. |
| Income structure. | Region, shifts, and process. | Postings and contracts govern. |
For salary judgments, return to verifying the specific city, employer, position level, and public job posting terms.
Verify the wood and appearance requirements.
Verify the glaze and decoration process.
Verify material and coating compatibility.
When comparing Chinese positions, verify the product material, coating, spraying and drying tasks, region, shifts, and employer offer.
| National wage percentiles cannot be taken as the offer for a position in a given material.；The median is not starting pay or a personal income promise, and cannot be extrapolated to China. |
| National wage percentiles. | $31,470／37,030／41,600／50,360／60,820 | Not provided. | The actual precise wage table has been completed, without inference from the median.；The U.S. precise 51-9123 BLS OEWS 2025 wages were obtained: 10th/25th/50th/75th/90th percentile annual wages of 31,470/37,030/41,600/50,360/60,820 U.S. dollars, corresponding to hourly wages of 15.13/17.80/20.00/24.21/29.24 U.S. dollars. Percentiles are not seniority levels, starting pay, or a personal income guarantee, and are not converted into Chinese wages. |
|---|
Salary 10th percentile.：$31,470；BLS OEWS 2025 precise 51-9123 annual wages； percentiles are not seniority, starting pay, or a personal quote.
Salary 25th percentile.：$37,030；BLS OEWS 2025 precise 51-9123 annual wages； percentiles are not seniority, starting pay, or a personal quote.
Salary median.：$41,600；BLS OEWS 2025 precise 51-9123 annual wages； percentiles are not seniority, starting pay, or a personal quote.
Salary 75th percentile.：$50,360；BLS OEWS 2025 precise 51-9123 annual wages； percentiles are not seniority, starting pay, or a personal quote.
Salary 90th percentile.：$60,820；BLS OEWS 2025 precise 51-9123 annual wages； percentiles are not seniority, starting pay, or a personal quote.
The median wage is not starting pay, and it is not a personal income promise.；The actual offer must be verified against the region, manufacturing setting, product material, shifts, and coating process.
The actual 2025 percentiles were obtained; current and historical employment are presented separately.；Wages are 2025; the older 2024 employment of 8,800 and the 2024—2034 growth of 1%—2% with an annual average of 800 openings are historical only. The current BLS precise 51-9123 shows 2025—2035 overall growth of 1.3% and an official net increase of about 100 people, with an annual average of about 700 openings including replacements; overall projections are not AI adoption, replacement, individual unemployment, or Chinese demand.
It is occupational employment stock, not current hiring volume.
The overall net increase of about 100 people differs from the annual average of about 700 openings including replacements; they cannot be taken as AI adoption, replacement, individual job-loss, or Chinese demand projections.
| Employer scenarios. | Data status. | How to understand. |
|---|---|---|
| Furniture manufacturing. | Verify the specific position. | Wood and finishing requirements differ. |
| Glass and ceramics. | Verify the specific position. | Glaze and curing processes differ. |
| Craft products. | Verify the specific position. | Single items and batches differ. |
| Other employers. | Verify the specific position. | The national median is not a personal offer. |
Verify the position offer and shifts.
Verify the formula, spraying, and drying requirements.
Verify quality and equipment responsibility.
2025 U.S. precise 51-9123 employment, about 8,300 in 2035； rounded from the official thousands table, not real-time hiring.
U.S. precise occupational overall employment projections, not an AI effect； do not back-calculate the growth rate from the rounded stock.
2025—2035 annual averages include growth and turnover replacements, not a net addition of about 100 people.
Interest assessments do not prove coating or spray equipment safety qualifications.
Prefers hands-on work with products and careful inspection of decorative appearance.
How can Holland occupational interests be used to explore product coating and decorating work?
Explore interest in hands-on application, color, and sample inspection; does not prove equipment qualifications.
Do not use it this way: Cannot replace samples, quality feedback, or training.
Explore occupational interests.How can the Big Five personality be used to explore product coating and decorating work?
Reflect on material versions, drying intervals, and defect-recording habits, and verify coaching feedback separately.
Do not use it this way: Cannot replace samples, quality feedback, or training.
Understand personality traits.How can MBTI preferences be used to explore product coating and decorating work?
Record fine handwork, process, and collaboration preferences; do not decide coating ability from a type.
Do not use it this way: Cannot replace samples, quality feedback, or training.
Explore occupational interests.How can the Enneagram be used to explore product coating and decorating work?
Can reflect on rework pressure; do not replace workshop feedback with a type.
Do not use it this way: Cannot replace samples, quality feedback, or training.
Understand personality traits.How can cognitive ability assessments be used to explore product coating and decorating work?
Observe the understanding of work orders, formula units, and conditions; cannot replace process training.
Do not use it this way: Cannot replace samples, quality feedback, or training.
Explore occupational interests.How can emotion and communication self-assessment be used to explore product coating and decorating work?
Focus on accurately handing over color differences, missed coating, materials, and unresolved items; communication self-assessment does not replace quality feedback.
Do not use it this way: Cannot replace samples, quality feedback, or training.
Understand personality traits.Fits better when: If you prefer the specific tasks of this direction, you can further observe: surface preparation, coating appearance, and work orders.
Watch for: Add building substrates, height, old-paint investigation, and project work safety.
Explore related career: Painters, Construction and Maintenance.Fits better when: If you prefer the specific tasks of this direction, you can further observe: coating samples, appearance, and quality records.
Watch for: Add continuous equipment feeding, parameters, thickness measurement, and machine guarding.
Explore related career: Coating machine operator.Fits better when: If you prefer the specific tasks of this direction, you can further observe: color, surface finishing, and fine handwork.
Watch for: Add wood repair, staining, furniture finishing, and material processes.
Explore related career: Furniture surface finisher.Fits better when: If you prefer the specific tasks of this direction, you can further observe: surface defects and hand tools.
Watch for: Add grinding and polishing, abrasives, and dust and tool protection.
Explore related career: Hand grinding and polishing worker.Fits better when: If you prefer the specific tasks of this direction, you can further observe: decoration details, patterns, and sample verification.
Watch for: Add etching and engraving processes and blade or chemical material protection.
Explore related career: Etcher and engraver.Fits better when: If you prefer the specific tasks of this direction, you can further observe: material identification, specifications, and fine handwork.
Watch for: Add cutting and trimming tools, dimensions, and cutting safety.
Explore related career: Hand cutter.Verify with safe samples.
Check the work order and labels.
Review under standard lighting.
Per employer safety procedures.
Keep defect and batch records.
Nationwide employee wages do not describe self-employed profit; verify the income cost and the employment form.
Target machine parameters, protection, and process training are verified separately; manual application is not equipment authorization.
Lighting and camera color cast affect judgment, so the physical item must be verified under standard lighting.
Cannot be granted automatically; verify employer equipment training, process scope, and anomaly escalation.
Verify the product material, coatings, spray guns, drying, ventilation, shifts, and quality responsibilities.
Evidence：O*NET task context; the controls are editorial suggestions. · O*NET task context; the controls are editorial suggestions.
Typical scenario：Spraying in a hazard area without verifying the spray gun and protection.
Roles most affected：Sprayers and others on site.
Possible consequence：May increase spray mist exposure.
How to reduce risk：Trained personnel verify the work area protection per the material and equipment procedures.
Evidence：O*NET task context; the controls are editorial suggestions. · O*NET task context; the controls are editorial suggestions.
Typical scenario：Running the dryer when the temperature, time, or combustible material conditions are unverified.
Roles most affected：Drying operators and personnel around the equipment.
Possible consequence：May cause burns or start a fire.
How to reduce risk：Authorized personnel verify the process equipment and stop and escalate on anomalies.
Evidence：O*NET task context; the controls are editorial suggestions. · O*NET task context; the controls are editorial suggestions.
Typical scenario：Product batch numbers, formulas, or container labels misplaced.
Roles most affected：Batching staff, applicators, and recipients.
Possible consequence：May mix up materials or cause coating incompatibility.
How to reduce risk：Check against the work order and original labels, keep misplacement records, and hand them to the responsible person for verification.
Evidence：O*NET task context; the controls are editorial suggestions. · O*NET task context; the controls are editorial suggestions.
Typical scenario：Missed coating, color difference, or under-curing treated directly as acceptable.
Roles most affected：Quality personnel and product recipients.
Possible consequence：May cause rework or make the protection and decoration fail to meet requirements.
How to reduce risk：Verify the sample under standard lighting and process conditions, and isolate anomalies for quality to decide.
Evidence：O*NET task context; the controls are editorial suggestions. · O*NET task context; the controls are editorial suggestions.
Typical scenario：Prolonged fine application without verified workstation rotation arrangements.
Roles most affected：Fine-work personnel.
Possible consequence：May increase wrist and upper-limb strain.
How to reduce risk：Observe the workstation, rest rotation, and tools, and report ergonomic problems.
Evidence：O*NET task context; the controls are editorial suggestions. · O*NET task context; the controls are editorial suggestions.
| career.column.next |
|---|
| Career exploration. | Understand product and coating types. | Use only safe teaching materials. | Sample and work order understanding. | Learn cleaning and patching. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coaching preparation. | Clean, fill, and test color. | Real coatings require supervision. | Sample color and material records. | Learn application. |
| Entry-level coating. | Brushing or trained spraying. | Per equipment and chemical authorization. | Coating and defect photos. | Learn drying and curing. |
| Quality coordination. | Inspect appearance and touch up flaws. | Release is decided by authorized personnel. | Rework and inspection records. | Learn process improvement. |
| Skilled development. | Coordinate materials, samples, and steps. | Does not replace equipment maintenance authority. | Stabilize quality and handoff. | Crew coordination. |
| career.column.scenario | career.column.action | career.column.review | career.column.evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Color difference. | Verify the batch and the sample. | Review under standard lighting. | Sample and formula records. |
| Missed coating. | Isolate and touch up. | Confirm coverage and dryness. | Defect photos and rework. |
| Drying anomaly. | Pause the equipment and escalate. | Verify the temperature and authorization. | Alarms and batch times. |
| Abnormal solvent odor. | Stop work and report. | Confirm ventilation and materials. | On-site records. |
| career.column.state | career.column.proof | career.column.authority | career.column.condition | career.column.gap | career.column.owner | career.column.next |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foundational training. | Material and coating learning. | Employer training arrangement. | Teaching environment. | Real work pending verification. | Coach. | Keep samples. |
| Routine coating. | Cleaning and brushing samples. | Project lead. | Per the material instructions. | Spraying skills to be added. | Crew lead. | Operate under supervision. |
| Spray equipment. | Equipment and protection training. | Authorized personnel. | Ventilation compliance. | Do not spray without authorization. | Safety lead. | Verify training. |
| Drying equipment. | Temperature and time records. | Equipment-authorized personnel. | Control per the process. | Maintenance authority verified separately. | Equipment lead. | Run per procedures. |
| Quality hold. | Defect and batch evidence. | Quality lead. | Do not release on your own. | Rework decision pending verification. | Quality department. | Await the decision. |
| Delivery records. | Sample and coating records. | Designated handoff personnel. | Meets the work order standard. | Anomaly items pending closure. | Crew lead. | Record the results. |
Typical scope：In approved observation or simulation, learn the inputs, deliverables, and responsibilities of foundational learning without independently handling real objects.
Readiness evidence：Observation notes, input lists, and unknowns.
Credential boundary：Verify coating and equipment training.
Next moves：Add material and equipment knowledge.
Typical scope：Practice foundational learning during job training and supervision, verifying original inputs and recording feedback and anomalies.
Readiness evidence：Supervisory feedback, checklists, and correction records.
Credential boundary：Verify coating and equipment training.
Next moves：Add material and equipment knowledge.
Typical scope：After completing training and obtaining the corresponding authorization, take on foundational learning responsibilities and keep execution and handoff records; spraying, chemicals, drying equipment, and quality release authority are verified separately.
Readiness evidence：Corresponding training authorization, task records, and recipients.
Credential boundary：Verify coating and equipment training.
Next moves：Add material and equipment knowledge.
Typical scope：Within the corresponding responsibilities, review complex anomalies in foundational learning and improve handoffs; verify capability and authority separately before taking on new tasks.
Readiness evidence：Anomaly review and revision feedback; does not automatically expand authority.
Credential boundary：Verify coating and equipment training.
Next moves：Add material and equipment knowledge.
Typical scope：In approved observation or simulation, learn the inputs, deliverables, and responsibilities of supervised coating without independently handling real objects.
Readiness evidence：Observation notes, input lists, and unknowns.
Credential boundary：Verify coating and equipment training.
Next moves：Add material and equipment knowledge.
Typical scope：Practice supervised coating during job training and supervision, verifying original inputs and recording feedback and anomalies.
Readiness evidence：Supervisory feedback, checklists, and correction records.
Credential boundary：Verify coating and equipment training.
Next moves：Add material and equipment knowledge.
Typical scope：After completing training and obtaining the corresponding authorization, take on supervised coating responsibilities and keep execution and handoff records; spraying, chemicals, drying equipment, and quality release authority are verified separately.
Readiness evidence：Corresponding training authorization, task records, and recipients.
Verify coating and equipment training.
Typical scope：In approved observation or simulation, learn the inputs, deliverables, and responsibilities of independent work and development without independently handling real objects.
Readiness evidence：Observation notes, input lists, and unknowns.
Credential boundary：Verify coating and equipment training.
Next moves：Add material and equipment knowledge.
Typical scope：Practice independent work and development during job training and supervision, verifying original inputs and recording feedback and anomalies.
Readiness evidence：Supervisory feedback, checklists, and correction records.
Credential boundary：Verify coating and equipment training.
Next moves：Add material and equipment knowledge.
Typical scope：After completing training and obtaining the corresponding authorization, take on independent work and development responsibilities and keep execution and handoff records; spraying, chemicals, drying equipment, and quality release authority are verified separately.
Readiness evidence：Corresponding training authorization, task records, and recipients.
At hiring, verify the product material, coatings, spray guns, drying equipment, ventilation, shifts, and quality requirements.
In an interview you can describe how to distinguish color difference, missed coating, sagging, and under-curing, and explain the safety escalation boundaries.
Courses or certifications do not automatically grant authority for spraying, chemicals, drying equipment, or quality release.
Moving to construction painting, furniture finishing, or continuous coating machines requires adding the target objects, equipment, and safety training.
Does not establish：Adjacent directions require adding the professional skills for building structures, furniture woodwork, or continuous coating equipment separately.
United States. · O*NET 51-9123.00 precise occupation.
Growth 1.3%; net increase of about 100 people; annual average of about 700 openings including replacements.
Growth and annual average openings.
U.S. precise occupational overall projections are not workshop real-time hiring, AI adoption replacement, or individual layoffs.
Does not establish：Cannot be extrapolated to individual hiring probability or Chinese demand.
Chinese mainland. · Chinese positions cannot be directly matched.
No data that can be safely used at present.
Same-scope projections.
The NBS broad-position wage reference is not a Chinese demand projection for this occupation.
Does not establish：Cannot be extrapolated to individual hiring probability or Chinese demand.
These are capability relationships, not automatic promotions or credential waivers.
Transfers：Surface preparation, coating appearance, and work orders.
Build next：Add building substrates, height, old-paint investigation, and project work safety.
View career profileTransfers：Coating samples, appearance, and quality records.
Build next：Add continuous equipment feeding, parameters, thickness measurement, and machine guarding.
View career profileTransfers：Color, surface finishing, and fine handwork.
Build next：Add wood repair, staining, furniture finishing, and material processes.
View career profileTransfers：Surface defects and hand tools.
Build next：Add grinding and polishing, abrasives, and dust and tool protection.
View career profileTransfers：Decoration details, patterns, and sample verification.
Build next：Add etching and engraving processes and blade or chemical material protection.
View career profileTransfers：Material identification, specifications, and fine handwork.
Build next：Add cutting and trimming tools, dimensions, and cutting safety.
View career profileTransfers：Materials, samples, and defect identification.
Build next：Add molding, forming, and casting, molds, and target material processes.
View career profileTransfers：Color, material batches, and quality records.
Build next：Add printing plates, feeding, printing parameters, and machine safety.
View career profileThis occupation emphasizes application and decoration on individual products; equipment operators emphasize continuous equipment parameters and line operation.
No; image prompts, color matching, and formula suggestions still require samples, real lighting, and human review.
Watch for coating solvents, spray mist, drying heat sources, and mixing and labeling errors.
Insufficient evidence: a nationwide same-scope wage distribution for 51-9123 product painters and decorators in China was not obtained. NBS2025 The pre-tax broad-position average for production, manufacturing, and related personnel at above-scale manufacturing is 79,182 yuan per year, which includes many production positions and is not this occupation's median, starting pay, or take-home. Only actual above-scale manufacturing legal-person employers may refer to it, and it does not apply to individual workshops, self-employed profit, or freelance work; the specific material, shifts, region, and contract still need separate verification.
The 2025 U.S. median for this occupation is 20.00 per hour and 41,600 U.S. dollars per year; the quintiles were obtained but are not seniority or starting pay. BLS precise 51-9123 is about 8,200 in 2025 and about 8,300 in 2035; over 2025—2035 overall growth is 1.3%, an official net increase of about 100, and an annual average of about 700 openings including replacements. The thousands table is rounded, so the rate cannot be back-calculated; not AI replacement or individual layoffs. The older 2024 employment of 8,800 and the 2024—2034 materials are kept as history.
First practice cleaning, patching, color mixing, and inspection with teaching samples; real coatings, spraying, and drying equipment are used per employer authorization.
Chinese and U.S. data are in separate columns and cannot be rewritten into each other.; AI inference is not evidence of real adoption.; Paper exercises do not constitute real practice or safety authorization.
Material verification: 2026-10-12.
O*NET 51-9123.00 precise occupational materials.
Limitations：Global exposure evidence is not adoption, job-loss probability, regulation or authorization evidence.
Limitations：The broad position includes many production positions and is not this occupation's median, percentiles, starting pay, personal take-home, or self-employed profit.
Limitations：Directory entries are not state licenses, employer authorization or proof of universal requirement.
Limitations：Employer tasks and local authorization vary.
Limitations：Posting mentions do not prove proficiency, adoption or automation rate.
Limitations：US occupation evidence; China mapping and authorization require separate review.
Limitations：Projection is not a hiring guarantee; parent data are not exact occupation counts.
Limitations：Wage percentiles are not seniority or starting pay, not self-employed income or Chinese wages.
Limitations：Use only for the stated O*NET occupation, US market and page subject. It does not establish a China mapping, China pay, or legal authorization.
Limitations：Use only for the stated O*NET occupation, US market and page subject. It does not establish a China mapping, China pay, or legal authorization.
Limitations：Use only for the stated O*NET occupation, US market and page subject. It does not establish a China mapping, China pay, or legal authorization.
Limitations：Use only for the stated O*NET occupation, US market and page subject. It does not establish a China mapping, China pay, or legal authorization.
Limitations：Use only for the stated O*NET occupation, US market and page subject. It does not establish a China mapping, China pay, or legal authorization.
Limitations：Use only for the stated O*NET occupation, US market and page subject. It does not establish a China mapping, China pay, or legal authorization.
Limitations：Wage percentiles are not seniority or starting pay, not self-employed income or Chinese wages.
Limitations：Use only for the stated O*NET occupation, US market and page subject. It does not establish a China mapping, China pay, or legal authorization.
Limitations：The precise occupation is not the parent 51-9120 or equipment 51-9124; the overall figure is not AI adoption, replacement, individual layoffs, or Chinese demand.
Limitations：Does not prove on-site effect, AI adoption or replacement rates, individual layoffs, certificates, or equipment safety authorization.
Limitations：Editorial ratings use the existing occupational responsibilities and AI task analysis on this page. They are not adoption rates, measured effects, job-disappearance or personal-unemployment probabilities, or official scores from Stanford or another external institution. No measured time weights or future robot deployment are assumed.
The evidence supports only scope-level judgments about Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers in the labeled market and period; it does not constitute a guarantee of individual income, hiring, or fit.
Occupational interest and personality exploration. · Occupational interest and personality exploration. · Occupational interest and personality exploration. (Chinese) · Occupational interest and personality exploration. (Chinese)
Next moves：Add material and equipment knowledge.
Typical scope：Within the corresponding responsibilities, review complex anomalies in supervised coating and improve handoffs; verify capability and authority separately before taking on new tasks.
Readiness evidence：Anomaly review and revision feedback; does not automatically expand authority.
Credential boundary：Verify coating and equipment training.
Next moves：Add material and equipment knowledge.
Credential boundary：Verify coating and equipment training.
Next moves：Add material and equipment knowledge.
Typical scope：Within the corresponding responsibilities, review complex anomalies in independent work and development and improve handoffs; verify capability and authority separately before taking on new tasks.
Readiness evidence：Anomaly review and revision feedback; does not automatically expand authority.
Credential boundary：Verify coating and equipment training.
Next moves：Add material and equipment knowledge.
